dried to make containers and ornaments.
Italians call the immature fruits cucuzze, and
peel and cook them to produce a relatively
bland version of a summer squash.
Luffa or Angled Gourds Luffa gourds,
sometimes called Chinese okra, are elongated
fruits with prominent ridges, and a mild taste
and delicate texture when eaten immature. (A
different species is used to make fibrous luffa
“sponges”; true sponges are sea creatures.)
Winter or Wax or Fuzzy Melons Winter
melons accumulate enough protective wax on
their rinds that it can be scraped off and made
into candles. On young fruits the wax-
producing glands are more prominent than the
wax itself, so they are known as hairy or fuzzy
gourds or melons. These are cooked like
summer squash, and their flesh becomes
almost translucent. Winter melons keep well,
and in Chinese cooking are used as an edible
container for a festive soup.